1. Olly Basaru-Sanni complained to the Independent Press
Standards Organisation that Mail Online had breached Clause 1 (Accuracy),
Clause 2 (Privacy) and Clause 10 (Clandestine devices and subterfuge) in an
article headlined, “Three British men who were on Portugal Invasion 'urban
clubbing holiday' are thrown off of EasyJet flight home for 'disrespecting
boarding rules'” published online on 28 June 2017.

2. The article reported that three men were “thrown off” a
flight from Portugal for “disrespecting boarding rules’”, after having attended
the “Portugal Invasion” clubbing holiday. It also contained a statement from
the airline which said that the men had left the flight voluntarily after two
of them had become ill. The article contained a photograph of the complainant
and his two friends stood in the airport, after they had left the plane.

3. The complainant said he and his friends had not been
attending the Portugal Invasion holiday and they had left the plane voluntarily
after one of the group fell ill. He also said that his photograph had been
taken, and published, without his consent.

4. The publication said that the article was an accurate
representation of the account provided by its sources in the Portuguese police
and at the airport. It said that by including the airline’s account, the
article had made clear that the exact series of events was in dispute. The
newspaper did not consider that the men had a reasonable expectation of privacy
in an airport, but said that it had taken the decision to pixelate the
photograph of the complainant and his friends once it became clear that the
police’s version of events was in dispute.

Relevant Code provisions

5. Clause 1 (Accuracy)

i) The Press must take care not to publish inaccurate,
misleading or distorted information or images, including headlines not
supported by the text.

ii) A significant inaccuracy, misleading statement or
distortion must be corrected, promptly and with due prominence, and — where
appropriate — an apology published. In cases involving IPSO, due prominence
should be as required by the regulator.

iii) A fair opportunity to reply to significant inaccuracies
should be given, when reasonably called for.

iv) The Press, while free to editorialise and campaign, must
distinguish clearly between comment, conjecture and fact.

Clause 2 (Privacy)

i) Everyone is entitled to respect for his or her private
and family life, home, health, and correspondence, including digital
communications.

ii) Editors will be expected to justify intrusions into any
individual’s private life without consent. Account will be taken of the
complainant’s own public disclosures of information.

iii) It is unacceptable to photograph individuals, without
their consent, in public or private places where there is a reasonable
expectation of privacy.

Clause 10 (Clandestine devices and subterfuge)

i) The press must not seek to obtain or publish material
acquired by using hidden cameras or clandestine listening devices; or by
intercepting private or mobile telephone calls, messages or emails; or by the
unauthorised removal of documents or photographs; or by accessing
digitally-held information without consent.

ii) Engaging in misrepresentation or subterfuge, including
by agents or intermediaries, can generally be justified only in the public
interest and then only when the material cannot be obtained by other means

Mediated outcome

6. The complaint was not resolved through direct
correspondence between the parties. IPSO therefore began an investigation into
the matter.

7. Following IPSO’s intervention, the newspaper offered to
remove the article from its website.

9. As the complaint was successfully mediated, the
Complaints Committee did not make a determination as to whether there had been
any breach of the Code.